Read Online Kick Ass by Carl Hiaasen - Free Book Online
Authors: Carl Hiaasen
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fateful voyage began at a private dock in Coral Gables, one of many things that attracted the curiosity of U.S. authorities. Shortly after the exile crew was arrested, a San Juan grand jury began taking testimony. Indictments of Hernandez and Llama are expected Tuesday.
At least that’s the word from their attorneys, who did all of the talking at the pre-indictment press conference. One, the ubiquitous Jose Quinon, said the case against his clients was “politically motivated.”
Another lawyer, Manny Vasquez, elaborated: “The enemies of the embargo [against Cuba] are behind this action. When Castro snaps his fingers, our government jumps.”
It’s a fabulous crock, of course, but even the flimsiest of conspiracy yarns appeals to some Castro haters and talk-radio addicts.
Notably missing from the CANF leaders’ pre-indictment press conference was a plausible counter-explanation for the suspicious facts of the case. On matters of evidence, the indignant attorneys and their indignant clients remained mum.
How, for example, did Llama’s boat come to be used in this screwball mission? Was he in the habit of loaning it to heavily armed pals for leisurely excursions to South America?
And how did Hernandez’s .50-caliber sniper rifle get aboard La Esperanza? Why does he even own such a ridiculous weaponit’s a tad excessive for plugging deer or squirrels, and the bulky bipod makes it impractical for everyday self-defense.
Maybe it’s all innocent coincidencethe boat, the sniper guns, the trip timed to Castro’s arrival. Or maybe unnamed “enemies of the embargo” somehow orchestrated the whole fiasco-at-sea. But how?
These and other questions that weren’t answered at the pre-indictment press conference could be asked at trialor again even later, if there’s a post-conviction press conference, which is also becoming a South Florida custom.[“#chapter_02”]
Murder and Mayhem
Can gun laws solve Dade’s murder wave?
July 31, 1985
The FBI says Dade County is once again the murder capital of the United States, and we’ve been swamped with statistics to support the fact.
The new numbers are ugly and they make headlines. Headlines, of course, inspire Civic Leaders to form committees and place blame and offer brilliant solutions.
One says it’s just drug dealers killing each other off; another sees a reprise of Mariel violence. Still another says the answer is putting more cops on the street.
They’ve been saying all this for five years, and one gets the idea they might be missing the big picture. Murder is not just a passing public relations problem; it’s here to stay.
“It’s too easy for people in public positions to give an easy answer,” says Dr. William Wilbanks, criminal justice professor at Florida International University. “In a year in which murders are down, everybody wants credit. When murder goes up, everybody says, ‘Don’t look at me’.”
In the first place, the numbers aren’t as bad as they seem. The body count actually has dropped dramatically since the nightmare years of 1980-1981.
Secondly, the numbers aren’t always complete. Experts point out that federal per capita murder statistics rely on outdated Dade County population figures that exclude thousands of illegal aliens and winter residents. If the murder rate were recomputed accurately, we’d surely lose our No. i national ranking.
Thirdly, the numbers are not always compatible. The FBI reported that 425 people were murdered here in 1984.The Dade County medical examiner’s office, where the corpses wound up, counted 462. This is how they were killed: gunshot wound (359), stabbing (40), beating (27), strangulation (8), child abuse (6), drowning (2), fire (7) and others (13).
Wilbanks suggests that this is not a crime wave, but a way of life. His book, Murder in Miami, meticulously charts the fluctuations in Dade County’s homicide pattern from 1917 through 1983. It is a sobering document that avoids
At least that’s the word from their attorneys, who did all of the talking at the pre-indictment press conference. One, the ubiquitous Jose Quinon, said the case against his clients was “politically motivated.”
Another lawyer, Manny Vasquez, elaborated: “The enemies of the embargo [against Cuba] are behind this action. When Castro snaps his fingers, our government jumps.”
It’s a fabulous crock, of course, but even the flimsiest of conspiracy yarns appeals to some Castro haters and talk-radio addicts.
Notably missing from the CANF leaders’ pre-indictment press conference was a plausible counter-explanation for the suspicious facts of the case. On matters of evidence, the indignant attorneys and their indignant clients remained mum.
How, for example, did Llama’s boat come to be used in this screwball mission? Was he in the habit of loaning it to heavily armed pals for leisurely excursions to South America?
And how did Hernandez’s .50-caliber sniper rifle get aboard La Esperanza? Why does he even own such a ridiculous weaponit’s a tad excessive for plugging deer or squirrels, and the bulky bipod makes it impractical for everyday self-defense.
Maybe it’s all innocent coincidencethe boat, the sniper guns, the trip timed to Castro’s arrival. Or maybe unnamed “enemies of the embargo” somehow orchestrated the whole fiasco-at-sea. But how?
These and other questions that weren’t answered at the pre-indictment press conference could be asked at trialor again even later, if there’s a post-conviction press conference, which is also becoming a South Florida custom.[“#chapter_02”]
Murder and Mayhem
Can gun laws solve Dade’s murder wave?
July 31, 1985
The FBI says Dade County is once again the murder capital of the United States, and we’ve been swamped with statistics to support the fact.
The new numbers are ugly and they make headlines. Headlines, of course, inspire Civic Leaders to form committees and place blame and offer brilliant solutions.
One says it’s just drug dealers killing each other off; another sees a reprise of Mariel violence. Still another says the answer is putting more cops on the street.
They’ve been saying all this for five years, and one gets the idea they might be missing the big picture. Murder is not just a passing public relations problem; it’s here to stay.
“It’s too easy for people in public positions to give an easy answer,” says Dr. William Wilbanks, criminal justice professor at Florida International University. “In a year in which murders are down, everybody wants credit. When murder goes up, everybody says, ‘Don’t look at me’.”
In the first place, the numbers aren’t as bad as they seem. The body count actually has dropped dramatically since the nightmare years of 1980-1981.
Secondly, the numbers aren’t always complete. Experts point out that federal per capita murder statistics rely on outdated Dade County population figures that exclude thousands of illegal aliens and winter residents. If the murder rate were recomputed accurately, we’d surely lose our No. i national ranking.
Thirdly, the numbers are not always compatible. The FBI reported that 425 people were murdered here in 1984.The Dade County medical examiner’s office, where the corpses wound up, counted 462. This is how they were killed: gunshot wound (359), stabbing (40), beating (27), strangulation (8), child abuse (6), drowning (2), fire (7) and others (13).
Wilbanks suggests that this is not a crime wave, but a way of life. His book, Murder in Miami, meticulously charts the fluctuations in Dade County’s homicide pattern from 1917 through 1983. It is a sobering document that avoids
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